US8449241B2 - Grapple for a skid steer loader - Google Patents
Grapple for a skid steer loader Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US8449241B2 US8449241B2 US12/748,567 US74856710A US8449241B2 US 8449241 B2 US8449241 B2 US 8449241B2 US 74856710 A US74856710 A US 74856710A US 8449241 B2 US8449241 B2 US 8449241B2
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- crossbar
- tines
- hydraulic
- attachment
- skid steer
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Active, expires
Links
- OCDRLZFZBHZTKQ-NMUBGGKPSA-N onetine Chemical compound C[C@@H](O)[C@@]1(O)C[C@@H](C)[C@@](C)(O)C(=O)OC\C2=C\CN(C)CC[C@@H](OC1=O)C2=O OCDRLZFZBHZTKQ-NMUBGGKPSA-N 0.000 claims description 3
- 229910000831 Steel Inorganic materials 0.000 abstract description 5
- 239000010959 steel Substances 0.000 abstract description 5
- 239000004460 silage Substances 0.000 description 32
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 5
- 239000004459 forage Substances 0.000 description 4
- 241000196324 Embryophyta Species 0.000 description 3
- QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N atomic oxygen Chemical compound [O] QVGXLLKOCUKJST-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 3
- 239000010720 hydraulic oil Substances 0.000 description 3
- 229910052760 oxygen Inorganic materials 0.000 description 3
- 239000001301 oxygen Substances 0.000 description 3
- 241000283690 Bos taurus Species 0.000 description 2
- 241001124569 Lycaenidae Species 0.000 description 2
- 235000013365 dairy product Nutrition 0.000 description 2
- 210000005069 ears Anatomy 0.000 description 2
- 238000000855 fermentation Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000012530 fluid Substances 0.000 description 2
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 description 2
- 240000004658 Medicago sativa Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000017587 Medicago sativa ssp. sativa Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 241001465754 Metazoa Species 0.000 description 1
- 241000209504 Poaceae Species 0.000 description 1
- 240000006394 Sorghum bicolor Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000011684 Sorghum saccharatum Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 240000008042 Zea mays Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000005824 Zea mays ssp. parviglumis Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 235000002017 Zea mays subsp mays Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000002253 acid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 150000007513 acids Chemical class 0.000 description 1
- 239000010960 cold rolled steel Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000010276 construction Methods 0.000 description 1
- 235000005822 corn Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000005516 engineering process Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004151 fermentation Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000000945 filler Substances 0.000 description 1
- 244000144980 herd Species 0.000 description 1
- 235000021374 legumes Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 238000012986 modification Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000004048 modification Effects 0.000 description 1
- 235000015097 nutrients Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 239000003921 oil Substances 0.000 description 1
- 238000011017 operating method Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000000149 penetrating effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 239000007787 solid Substances 0.000 description 1
- 239000010907 stover Substances 0.000 description 1
- 235000000346 sugar Nutrition 0.000 description 1
- 150000008163 sugars Chemical class 0.000 description 1
Images
Classifications
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/28—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging tools mounted on a dipper- or bucket-arm, i.e. there is either one arm or a pair of arms, e.g. dippers, buckets
- E02F3/34—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging tools mounted on a dipper- or bucket-arm, i.e. there is either one arm or a pair of arms, e.g. dippers, buckets with bucket-arms, i.e. a pair of arms, e.g. manufacturing processes, form, geometry, material of bucket-arms directly pivoted on the frames of tractors or self-propelled machines
- E02F3/3414—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging tools mounted on a dipper- or bucket-arm, i.e. there is either one arm or a pair of arms, e.g. dippers, buckets with bucket-arms, i.e. a pair of arms, e.g. manufacturing processes, form, geometry, material of bucket-arms directly pivoted on the frames of tractors or self-propelled machines the arms being pivoted at the rear of the vehicle chassis, e.g. skid steer loader
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/28—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with digging tools mounted on a dipper- or bucket-arm, i.e. there is either one arm or a pair of arms, e.g. dippers, buckets
- E02F3/36—Component parts
- E02F3/40—Dippers; Buckets ; Grab devices, e.g. manufacturing processes for buckets, form, geometry or material of buckets
- E02F3/402—Dippers; Buckets ; Grab devices, e.g. manufacturing processes for buckets, form, geometry or material of buckets with means for facilitating the loading thereof, e.g. conveyors
- E02F3/404—Dippers; Buckets ; Grab devices, e.g. manufacturing processes for buckets, form, geometry or material of buckets with means for facilitating the loading thereof, e.g. conveyors comprising two parts movable relative to each other, e.g. for gripping
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02F—DREDGING; SOIL-SHIFTING
- E02F3/00—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines
- E02F3/04—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven
- E02F3/96—Dredgers; Soil-shifting machines mechanically-driven with arrangements for alternate or simultaneous use of different digging elements
- E02F3/962—Mounting of implements directly on tools already attached to the machine
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to an attachment for a skid steer loader-type work vehicle, and more particularly to a hydraulically-actuated grapple for use in handling compacted silage.
- silage For many years, dairy farms have stored corn stalks and other forage plants as silage in tall, vertical tanks called silos. The plant material is collated, chopped into pieces and fed into a stationary machine called as “silo filler” that would further chop the stalks and blow them up a narrow tube to the top of a tower silo.
- Current technology uses mechanical forage harvesters that collect and chop the plant material, and deposit it in trucks or wagons. These forage harvesters can be either tractor-drawn or self-propelled. They blow the silage into the wagon via chute at the rear or side of the machine. Silage may also be emptied into a bagger, which puts the silage into a large plastic bag that is laid out on the ground. Typically, these bags may have a diameter anywhere from four to ten feet and may be 200 feet or more in length.
- Silage undergoes anaerobic fermentation, which typically starts about 48 hours after the bag is filled. The process converts sugars to acids and exhausts an oxygen present in the crop material. Fermentation is essentially complete after about two weeks. When bagging of silage is employed, it must be firmly packed to minimize the oxygen content or it will spoil.
- the ensiled product retains a much larger proportion of its nutrients than if the crop had been dried and stored as hay or stover.
- Bulk silage is commonly fed to dairy cattle. Common forages converted to silage include several varieties of grasses, herbaceous legumes, alfalfa and sorghums. When the silage is loaded into silage bags, the material becomes highly compacted and tightly contained so as to minimize oxygen exposure. As such, the material within the bag becomes somewhat entangled and solid in its texture.
- front end loaders also referred to as skid steer loaders
- skid steer loaders may be used to remove a quantity of silage and load IT onto a truck for transport to a feeding site.
- the skid steer loader wheels frequently loose traction and the vehicle can become stuck, especially where the grapple tines are embedded in the tightly compacted silage. It may then become necessary to dump the full bucket or hook up the skid steer loader to a truck being loaded using a chain to pull it free from the compacted silage. This, of course, takes time that can be better spent on other chores.
- the present invention provides a novel and non-obvious solution to the aforementioned problem.
- a grapple attachment for a bucket of a skid steer loader comprises a crossbar pivotally affixed to the scoop bucket where the crossbar supports a plurality of parallel tines and a hydraulic actuator for rotating the crossbar and tines between a raised state and a lowered state with respect to an open top and front of the scoop bucket.
- the grapple attachment is characterized in that at least one of the plurality of parallel tines is connected to a piston rod of a hydraulic cylinder which, when actuated, advances the one tine outward from the crossbar and beyond the row of fixed tines mounted on the crossbar.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a grapple attachment for a skid steer loader work vehicle embodying my invention
- FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken through one of the pivot arms and showing a hydraulic actuator contained therein;
- FIG. 3 is an end view of the preferred embodiment with the grapple shown in its raised position in ghost line and in its lowered position in solid line;
- FIG. 4 is an end view showing the movable tines extended relative to the fixed tines.
- FIG. 1 there is indicated generally by numeral 10 a grappling attachment constructed in accordance with the present invention. It is shown as being attached to the hydraulically-activated arms 12 and 14 of a skid loader work vehicle (not shown). While also not shown in FIG. 1 , the grapple assembly 10 incorporates the conventional quick connect coupler rather universally used for joining various attachments to the hydraulically-operated arms 12 , 14 of the skid steer loader.
- the grapple is seen to comprise a scoop bucket 18 having a bottom surface 20 , a rear surface 22 and triangularly shaped side surfaces 24 and 26 wherein the hypotenuse of each triangle extends from an upper edge 28 of the rear surface to a front edge 30 of the bottom surface 20 .
- the scoop bucket is of a welded construction and preferably made from 21 ⁇ 4 inch gauge cold rolled steel. Extending along the length dimension of the upper edge 28 is a steel tube of rectangular cross-section 32 that is affixed to the scoop bucket 18 by welded end brackets 34 and 35 .
- the grapple of the present invention further includes a crossbar member 36 to which is attached a plurality of teeth or tines 38 . . . 48 and which extend perpendicularly thereto. More particularly, the tines 38 . . . 48 are removably secured to the crossbar 36 by U-shaped brackets 50 . . . 60 that are welded to the crossbar and which surround three sides of the tines. Bolts passing through the brackets and tines hold the tines in place.
- the crossbar member 36 is pivotally connected to the rectangular tube 32 . More particularly, tubular steel arms 62 and 64 of rectangular cross-section are welded at a first end to the crossbar member 36 and are connected by braces 65 and 67 . The arms 62 and 64 are pivotally connected to the rectangular tube 32 that extends along the length dimension of the scoop bucket by a clevis connection, as at 66 , having a hinge pin 68 that acts as the axis of rotation for the crossbar member 36 and its attached tines.
- the tubular arm 64 attaches to the crossbar member 36 and to the rectangular tube 32 in an identical manner as the tubular arm 62 .
- FIG. 1 the crossbar and its attached tines are shown in a closed or lowered position relative to the bottom surface 20 of the scoop bucket 18 .
- Hydraulic cylinders or actuators, as at 70 and 72 are deployed so as to be able to lift and rotate the crossbar and tines clockwise when viewed as in FIG. 1 so that the tines no longer block the otherwise open front of the scoop bucket 18 .
- a pair of ears 74 and 76 is welded to the crossbar member 36 that are spaced apart from one another so as to receive therebetween a coupler 78 fastened to the end of a piston rod 80 of a hydraulic actuator 70 .
- a hinge pin 84 pivotally couples the coupler 78 to the ears 74 , 76 .
- the rightmost end of the cylinder 70 is also pivotally coupled to an upright ear 86 that is welded to the upper surface of the rectangular tube 32 .
- a hinge pin 88 pivotally joins the right end of the cylinder 70 to the ear 86 .
- the hydraulic actuator 72 is connected between the crossbar member 36 and the rectangular tube 32 in exactly the same manner and, thus, need not be described in detail.
- FIG. 2 there is shown a longitudinal cross-section through the steel tubular arm 62 to which the crossbar member 36 is welded at one end and that is pivotally connected to the rectangular tube 32 through the clevis connection 66 with its hinge pin 68 .
- Contained within the hollow interior of the rectangular tube 62 is a further hydraulic cylinder 90 whose piston rod 91 extends through aligned bores formed through the opposed sidewalls of the crossbar member 36 and into a slide 59 to which the bracket 52 that is affixed to the tine 40 is connected.
- the opposite end of the cylinder is pivotally connected to the inner sidewall of the rectangular tube 32 by a clevis connection 68 , allowing the cylinder 90 to rotate with the outer arm 62 .
- a hydraulic connection to the cylinder 90 is made through a hose 94 and a conventional hose connector 96 that extends through the wall of the rectangular tube 62 .
- the tubular arm 64 also contains a hydraulic actuator configured in the same way as cylinder 90 of FIG. 2 .
- Actuation of the cylinder 90 and its counterpart in arm 64 will cause reciprocal movement of the cylinder rods liked 91 .
- the stroke length thereof is approximately 8 inches.
- the operator When used to remove silage from a conventional silage storage bag, the operator will approach the open end of the silage bag with the tines 38 - 48 elevated as in FIG. 3 and will drive the scoop bucket 18 into the mass of silage at which point the hydraulic cylinders 70 and 72 will be actuated to swing the crossbar and tines into the mass of silage, thereby penetrating into a mass of silage sufficient to fill the scoop bucket. The operator will then attempt to maneuver the skid steer loader to empty the silage from the scoop bucket into a nearby truck or wagon (not shown) that will be used to carry the silage to the point where it is to be fed to the animals.
- the operator can operate a control lever on a valve box in the cab to deliver hydraulic fluid under high pressure to the cylinders 90 contained within the steel tube arms 62 and 64 causing the two tines 40 and 46 to push out and away from the crossbar member 36 as in FIG.
- the hydraulic system for the skid steer loader including its main hydraulic pump and the oil flow controller in the operator's cab are used to deliver hydraulic fluid to the lift cylinders 70 and 72 and to the push-out cylinders 90 .
- a sequence-type valve in the hydraulic circuit for the grapple arranged such that when the pressure applied to the cylinders 70 and 72 reach a predetermined setting, hydraulic oil flow is directed to the cylinders 90 to push out the tines 40 and 46 .
- the sequence valve operates to direct hydraulic oil flow to the cylinders 90 allowing about 12 tons of force for pushing against the compacted mass of silage to thereby displace the work vehicle from a stuck position.
- a separate electrically-operated valve may also be used to control hydraulic oil flow to the cylinders 90 once it is determined that the work vehicle has become mired.
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- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
- Mining & Mineral Resources (AREA)
- Civil Engineering (AREA)
- General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Structural Engineering (AREA)
- Operation Control Of Excavators (AREA)
Abstract
Description
Claims (9)
Priority Applications (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/748,567 US8449241B2 (en) | 2010-03-29 | 2010-03-29 | Grapple for a skid steer loader |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US12/748,567 US8449241B2 (en) | 2010-03-29 | 2010-03-29 | Grapple for a skid steer loader |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20110236170A1 US20110236170A1 (en) | 2011-09-29 |
US8449241B2 true US8449241B2 (en) | 2013-05-28 |
Family
ID=44656712
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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US12/748,567 Active 2031-11-19 US8449241B2 (en) | 2010-03-29 | 2010-03-29 | Grapple for a skid steer loader |
Country Status (1)
Country | Link |
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US (1) | US8449241B2 (en) |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9976280B2 (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2018-05-22 | Michael A. Honermann | Skid loader attachment including a rotatable and extendable claw |
US10233612B2 (en) | 2015-03-23 | 2019-03-19 | Curtis Industries, Llc | Tractor attachment and tractor attachment kit |
US10279486B2 (en) | 2017-07-12 | 2019-05-07 | Tidy Site Services, LLC | Construction equipment accessory and methods of moving elongate objects |
Families Citing this family (6)
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US9091586B2 (en) * | 2013-03-29 | 2015-07-28 | Caterpillar Inc. | Payload determination system and method |
CN104563176B (en) * | 2015-01-15 | 2017-11-28 | 王学义 | The poking device of loading machine |
GB2544794B (en) * | 2015-11-27 | 2018-08-01 | Eastern Attachments Ltd | Loading vehicle attachments |
CN106436807A (en) * | 2016-11-11 | 2017-02-22 | 江苏柳工机械有限公司 | Dual-purpose holding fork bucket of loading machine |
US11186470B2 (en) * | 2018-03-30 | 2021-11-30 | Deloren E. Anderson | Multi-tine lifting implement |
CN111960335B (en) * | 2020-08-13 | 2022-01-11 | 宁波运生工贸有限公司 | Subassembly of preventing gliding and preventing toppling of supplementary fork truck transport |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4863338A (en) * | 1988-06-10 | 1989-09-05 | Johnson Bruce W | Material handling bucket with extensible and pivotally mounted apron assembly |
US6287072B1 (en) * | 1999-05-06 | 2001-09-11 | James Wasilas | Precision grapple |
US6932556B1 (en) * | 2003-01-17 | 2005-08-23 | Jeffrey M. Ecker | Slab tipping apparatus |
US6939099B1 (en) * | 2001-08-10 | 2005-09-06 | Curtis Stokkeland | Hook attachment device |
-
2010
- 2010-03-29 US US12/748,567 patent/US8449241B2/en active Active
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4863338A (en) * | 1988-06-10 | 1989-09-05 | Johnson Bruce W | Material handling bucket with extensible and pivotally mounted apron assembly |
US6287072B1 (en) * | 1999-05-06 | 2001-09-11 | James Wasilas | Precision grapple |
US6939099B1 (en) * | 2001-08-10 | 2005-09-06 | Curtis Stokkeland | Hook attachment device |
US6932556B1 (en) * | 2003-01-17 | 2005-08-23 | Jeffrey M. Ecker | Slab tipping apparatus |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9976280B2 (en) | 2014-01-16 | 2018-05-22 | Michael A. Honermann | Skid loader attachment including a rotatable and extendable claw |
US10233612B2 (en) | 2015-03-23 | 2019-03-19 | Curtis Industries, Llc | Tractor attachment and tractor attachment kit |
US10279486B2 (en) | 2017-07-12 | 2019-05-07 | Tidy Site Services, LLC | Construction equipment accessory and methods of moving elongate objects |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
US20110236170A1 (en) | 2011-09-29 |
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Legal Events
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STCF | Information on status: patent grant |
Free format text: PATENTED CASE |
|
FPAY | Fee payment |
Year of fee payment: 4 |
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MAFP | Maintenance fee payment |
Free format text: PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 8TH YR, SMALL ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M2552); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: SMALL ENTITY Year of fee payment: 8 |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: FRITSCH EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, WISCONSIN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:FRITSCH, RONALD M.;REEL/FRAME:067668/0565 Effective date: 20240229 |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: FRITSCH EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES ACQUISITION, LLC, WISCONSIN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:FRITSCH EQUIPMENT CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:067703/0714 Effective date: 20240229 |
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AS | Assignment |
Owner name: FRITSCH EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES, LLC, WISCONSIN Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:FRITSCH EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES ACQUISITION, LLC;REEL/FRAME:067735/0698 Effective date: 20240319 |